I’m sponsoring my spouse or partner. What information should I include?

To sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner to become a permanent resident you must show Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that:

• you did not enter your relationship mainly for immigration reasons, and
• it is a genuine relationship.

And you must show that you meet IRCC's requirements for:

• a valid marriage,
• a common-law partnership, or
• a conjugal partnership, if your spouse or partner is outside Canada.

If you did not tell IRCC about your spouse or partner

You cannot sponsor your spouse or partner if:

• you were married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship when you became a permanent resident, and
• you did not tell IRCC at the time.

If this is your situation, you need to get legal advice about:

• the risk that you could lose your own status in Canada
• options for your spouse or partner to come to Canada

If you do not meet the requirements

If you do not qualify to sponsor, or your spouse or partner does not qualify to be sponsored, you might be able to ask IRCC to approve the sponsorship application based on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds or reasons. You should get legal advice about your options and legal help with making any H&C requests.